Innehållsförteckning för Issue 163 April 2025 från Houses

I always enjoy hearing people reflect on how great design has offered them a fresh perspective, especially when it helps them see familiar places with fresh eyes. In Brisbane, a couple of empty-nesters found their new home in an unusual place when they decided to convert the tennis court in their yard into a “right size” home. The end result is Floating Gable House by Phorm Architecture and Design (page 36), a carefully crafted example of infill housing that frames filtered views of the clients’ much-loved neighbourhood and weaves memories of past events into their new home. In Melbourne, meanwhile, a skillfully handled adaptation to Peter McIntyre’s 1954 Coil House by Karen Abernethy Interiors and Architecture (page 54) equips the home for contemporary life while remaining true to the spirit…

Founding her own architecture and interior design practice six years ago in her adopted hometown of Naarm/Melbourne seemed like a natural path for Naomi Brennan after years studying and working with some of the best in the biz. “I studied under Glenn Murcutt and Wendy Lewin in New South Wales, which really influenced my interest in the surrounding environment and appreciation for natural light, the functionality of space and the importance of designing for rituals, no matter how small,” Naomi recalls. Further study in Victoria with Peter Corrigan showed her the value of “curiosity … and celebrating a sense of individuality.” Three years in practice at John Wardle Architects (now Wardle) nurtured her passion for fine detail, craftsmanship and bespoke design. But it was a long-term mentorship from Sydney architect…

Established by designer and creative Jacqueline Kaytar, a Croatian Australian living on Jagera and Turrbal Country, Studio Kaytar is the evolution of a twenty-yearlong design and making career, one that has always been driven by the act of making. “It’s been an organic journey of refining my craft and discovering new ways to shape materials,” she reveals. “I began my formal design career as a textile designer,” Jacqueline continues. “During that time, I experimented with hand-dyeing and learnt about the alchemy of plant and natural dyes, taking short courses and also exploring techniques at home.” This exploration of alchemy and mixed media underpins Studio Kaytar’s design philosophy. She explores the earthy qualities of flax linen, metals, plant dyes and beeswax – an interest the designer describes as “instinctive.” “[These materials]…

Sing d’Arcy Writer Sing d’Arcy is a senior lecturer in the interior architecture program at the University of New South Wales and a regular contributor to industry journals. His research relating to contemporary interior practice focuses on Australian residential, workplace and hospitality design. Renata Dominik Photographer Sydney-based Renata Dominik has a passion for film photography, which shapes her artistic approach to capturing still life and spaces. With a keen eye for storytelling and composition, she brings depth and atmosphere to architectural and interior images, creating striking visuals that highlight the beauty and character of each space. Silvia Micheli Writer Dr Silvia Micheli is a senior lecturer at the University of Queensland, where she teaches and researches architectural and urban design. Michael Pham Photographer Never a stranger…

Find more residential products: architectureau.com/products 01 Woodsmith flooring from Tasmanian Timber Tasmanian Timber has launched a new engineered hardwood range, Woodsmith, available in six contemporary colours. The flooring is made from sustainably sourced regrowth Tasmanian oak and is milled with a focus on minimising waste, making it a responsible choice. Photograph: Clever Creative. tasmaniantimber.com.au 02 Cycle Chair from Tait The Cycle Chair, made from 70 percent salvaged aluminium, is lightweight, stackable and endlessly recyclable. Created by Adam Goodrum and Tait Design Studio, its minimal frame is easy to transport and stabilised with custom glides for a sleek, contemporary look. Photograph: Martina Gemmola. madebytait.com.au 03 Cork flooring from Kustom Timber Harvested from the renewable bark of the cork oak tree, Kustom Timber's cork flooring is a 100 percent natural, carbon-negative product.…

Tighes Hill, a small inner-city suburb of Newcastle, carries a distinct character shaped by its industrial past and working-class roots. Originally a small hub servicing a colliery in the late 1800s and then the BHP steelworks in the twentieth century, its streets are lined with modest Federation- and interwar-era worker’s cottages, interspersed with remnants of old warehouses and corner stores. The suburb’s tight-knit urban fabric, small lot sizes and narrow streets create both charm and challenge for contemporary architecture, requiring a careful balance between heritage sensitivity and modern living. The suburb benefits from its connection to Throsby Creek and Newcastle’s shared foot and cycle pathways. As Newcastle evolves, Tighes Hill has become a sought-after enclave for young families and creatives, drawn to its proximity to the city, walkability and growing…

There is opportunity in constraint. This, at least, is what every architect is taught. Throughout practice, constraint is everywhere: in the client’s brief, their budget, planning controls, the limitations of available craftsmanship and construction. The architect is taught that these are the limitations which will shape our endeavours. A successful work of architecture, then, seemingly finds a balance in which all the constraints are comfortably accommodated and yet, in combination, transcend to something more. When Ciliberto Architects was approached by three generations of one family to build them a new home, the brief was simple: the budget was tight, they needed bedrooms for every member of the family (seven in all) and the site was constrained. Located on an exposed corner in Sydney’s inner suburbs, the site is heavily overlooked…

In William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the Mechanicals stage a production of Pyramus and Thisbe, a play within a play, to great comical effect. The device of nesting a story within a story is used in literature, film, painting and, often, architecture. In Phorm Architecture and Design’s Floating Gable House, a physical expression of nesting can be seen in the repeating gables of the front and rear elevations. Internally, there are several nested spaces, particularly the space containing the first-floor bathroom and robe, which appears as a house within a house. In this sense, nesting is employed as a practical method to maximise space on a small site. But the concept of nesting is used in more than just a literal sense: the design of the house also illuminates…

01 Adelaide Modernism: 101 Houses by Tim Reeves (Wakefield Press, 2025) The modernism movement swept the world, rejecting adornment in favour of functionality. Postwar migration brought modernism and the tradesmen who knew how to construct it from Europe to Australia. Examples of the style were built all over the nation, and Adelaide was no exception. In his fourth book, South Australian historian Tim Reeves collates 101 examples of modernist houses completed in Adelaide between 1939 and 1974. The book presents modernist architecture in all its guises, with all its strengths and flaws. Most architects showcased are South Australian, with some so prolific and talented that they have multiple entries allocated to them (think John Chappel and Jack Cheesman). Nearly half of the projects are architects’ own homes; others range…

There is an art to designing a home that is efficient, understated and poetic. The difficulties of balancing the constraints of site and environment with client briefs, together with the messy reality of the construction process, can result in compromised designs. Where some architects may falter in this precarious juggling act, Those Architects has developed a body of residential work that is testament to the act of good design: projects based on rigorous research and planning, connection to the environment, a deep understanding of materiality, as well as genuine care for the lived experiences and aspirations of the clients. Co-founders and directors Simon Addinall and Ben Mitchell speak about their work in a very direct way – problem-solving, site, climate, client, planning, light, materials, experience. They emphasise that these are…